Less (Bad) Design: A Toolkit For Ethical Ideation

“We must stop defiling the earth itself with poorly-designed objects and structures.” – Victor Papanek

Papanek might have been onto something. Every day, designers and innovators alike, with the best of intentions, work really hard to devise solutions that often create more harm than good.

This toolkit is about ethical ideation; limiting, as Papanek says, the objects and structures that "defile".

This toolkit is about uncovering the new problems our “solutions” might generate; questioning our own perception of the problems we seek to solve in the first place.

This toolkit is about designing less.

Inside, you'll find:

• An exercise for questioning the problem you are seeking to solve
• An original framework for brainstorming solutions, the Snowball Effect
• The 12 principles of Bad Design, along with a Bad Design Canvas
• A process for reflecting and iterating upon ideas

What's the deal with this being Pay-What-You-Want??

The toolkit is available on a Pay-What-You-Want basis. We do not expect any compensation for our resources/materials as we want this to be as accessible as possible to anyone and everyone. Our mission is to build capacity, not to make money. This said, if you are able to contribute, it is greatly appreciated! We recommend a donation of $10 for this toolkit. Also, be sure to check out other toolkits from Reginald!